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Reds to play 'B' game before Cactus League outing

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By Mark Sheldon
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MLB.com |

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- One day after rain washed out two Reds split-squad games Friday night, manager Dusty Baker used none of his regular players against the Brewers on Saturday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark. More rain in the morning had kept the field damp.

"I don't have too many of my big boys playing today, not that the other guys are sacrificial lambs; it's precautionary," Baker said. "The fact that we have a B game and an A game [Sunday], so the innings will be bumped up on some of the guys since their endurance is up; we're going to start playing them longer."

To make up for one of the washed-out games against the Dodgers on Friday, the two teams are playing a 12:30 p.m. ET "B" game Sunday at Camelback Ranch. Following will be a regular Cactus League game at the ballpark between the Reds and White Sox.

Friday's game against the Cubs in Goodyear was called off after 1 1/2 innings as a downpour made conditions poor on the field.

"They said it was real sloppy and wouldn't take much more rain to make it unplayable," Baker said. "[The umpire] came over and said it was getting around the bag, bad around home plate, bad around the mound. You use the best judgment you can. It was getting dangerous out there."

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.